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AG Pax­ton Prais­es Trump Admin­is­tra­tion Pro­pos­al to Pro­tect Life in the Fed­er­al Title X Fam­i­ly Plan­ning Grant Program

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Attorney General Ken Paxton today commended a Trump administration proposal that would protect the lives of the unborn and the conscience rights of taxpayers by withholding federal Title X family planning funding from clinics that provide abortion services or referrals for abortions. The proposal is along the lines of requirements put in place during the Reagan-era and upheld by the Supreme Court in Rust v. Sullivan.

“Sending taxpayer money to abortion providers is a bit like giving matches to an arsonist, so long as he promises he will use somebody else’s matches to start fires,” Attorney General Paxton said. “In making a true separation between family planning clinics and abortion providers a requirement for receipt of Title X funds, President Trump again demonstrated his commitment to protecting the sanctity of life and the conscience rights of millions of Americans. Attempts to conflate abortion and family planning have always violated the letter and the spirit of Title X. This decision is equal parts victory for the rule of law and for the unborn.”

In a recent letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Attorney General Paxton encouraged the agency to implement rules restoring religious freedom and conscience rights for all Americans. The Obama administration denied the conscience rights of Texans when it excluded Texas from Title X funding because of state laws that, like federal laws, respect the sanctity of life among the unborn.

The Trump administration proposal – which the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services filed with the Office of Management and Budget – updates the regulations governing the Title X program to ensure compliance with its statutory prohibition on taxpayer funding of programs where abortion is a method of family planning. The proposal does not cut any funding for family planning services provided the organization disentangles taxpayer funds from abortion as a method of family planning, as required by Title X law.